Critical Reasoning

Industrialists from the country Distopia were accused of promoting the Distopian intervention in the Arcadian civil war merely to insure that the industrialists’ facilities in Arcadia made substantial profits during the war. Yet this cannot be the motive since, as the Distopians foresaw, Distopia’s federal expenses for the intervention were eight billion dollars, whereas, during the war, profits from the Distopian industrialists’ facilities in Arcadia totaled only four billion dollars.
Which of the following, if true, exposes a serious flaw in the argument made in the second sentence above?
(A) During the Arcadian war, many Distopian industrialists with facilities located in Arcadia experienced a significant rise in productivity in their facilities located in Distopia.
(B) The largest proportion of Distopia’s federal expenses is borne by those who receive no significant industrial profits.
(C) Most Distopian industrialists’ facilities located in Arcadia are expected to maintain the level of profits they achieved during the war.
(D) Distopian industrialists’ facilities in Arcadia made substantial profits before the events that triggered the civil war.
(E) Many Distopians expressed concern over the suffering that Arcadians underwent during the civil war.

reachac wrote:Industrialists from the country Distopia were accused of promoting the Distopian intervention in the Arcadian civil war merely to insure that the industrialists’ facilities in Arcadia made substantial profits during the war. Yet this cannot be the motive since, as the Distopians foresaw, Distopia’s federal expenses for the intervention were eight billion dollars, whereas, during the war, profits from the Distopian industrialists’ facilities in Arcadia totaled only four billion dollars.
Which of the following, if true, exposes a serious flaw in the argument made in the second sentence above?
(A) During the Arcadian war, many Distopian industrialists with facilities located in Arcadia experienced a significant rise in productivity in their facilities located in Distopia.
(B) The largest proportion of Distopia’s federal expenses is borne by those who receive no significant industrial profits.
(C) Most Distopian industrialists’ facilities located in Arcadia are expected to maintain the level of profits they achieved during the war.
(D) Distopian industrialists’ facilities in Arcadia made substantial profits before the events that triggered the civil war.
(E) Many Distopians expressed concern over the suffering that Arcadians underwent during the civil war.

IMO B

If the fedral expenses were not borne by Industrialists, they'll be least bothered for the difference in expense and profit..... So obvioulsly profit was the motive .....

Guys do you see a similarity between this question and a real life war happened few time back, involving a world superpower and a country in middle east Asia. .. or its just me ...

IMO B

IMO B (elimination method)

B seems to be the one... whats the OA ?

B for me too.

The industrialists raked in 4 billion dollar profit by contributing very limited amount of the total 8 billion dollars or some one else is contributing more than 4 billion dollars. They have an incentive and that exposes the flaw.

I will go for A.
The profit was the only motive.

While B talk about profit sharing or federal income which is not the mentioned in the argument.Out of scope.

Thanks,
lvincy

I pick A..What is the OA?

whats d oa..initially i also felt its A but i guess i didnt understood it well..

but now i feel ..it would be B..


whats d OA..??

i say B as well.

the stimulus here is implying that industrialists could not have promoted war for money making motives because profits went down during the war. The assumption is that industrialists suffered as a result of the war as indicated by the decreasing profits.

The question here is asks about the weakness. So I would look for something that destroys the assumption. Basically that something else caused profits to sink and that industrialists weren't affected.

A cannot be the answer because its out of scope. There is no mention of profits. Increase productivity does not necessarily mean increased profits. Sometimes businesses that increase productivity have increased costs...so don't fall into that trap!

B or C for me,

and in the end I choose B...it seems to have the most direct impact to explaining the profit motive.

but the question asks for "flaw in the argument made in the SECOND sentence above". doesnt the second sentence argue profit was NOT the motive? If so, how can B be the answer?

It will be B

first is was thinking of A as increase in productivity is Misleading

But increase in productivity doesn't mean increase in profit.

Thus Only B is the answer ..

beatgmat30 wrote:but the question asks for "flaw in the argument made in the SECOND sentence above". doesnt the second sentence argue profit was NOT the motive? If so, how can B be the answer?

Second statement lends support to the fact taht "profit was the motive"
How?

Pls note : we are talking aboutthe profit of the industrialist in Distopian

If B is true then the following scenario would happen

Before the War:Industrialist invested pretty less as significant investment came from others
After the War: they made huge profits 4 M$ (really huge )

So the difference would be something huge

I'm stilllllllllll not able to dIgest that the answer is B:x

It sounds like " industrialists who bore a lesser proportion of federal intervention cost are largely benefitted than industrialists who bore a significant proportion of the federal intervention cost "